in North Carolina. . .

Welcome to Mr. Newton and Mrs. Newton. . .a note on the bedside table in 5 year old style, 2 water bottles and 2 Hersheys chocolate bars. So- Allan, Courtney and 5 sweet children welcomed us to North Carolina.
We arrived Monday evening, the same day Allan deployed to the Middle East-expected, but not expected so soon.
John did bikes and bugs and baseball. . . and shoe tying lessons. I held tiny Rebekah and untangled the sewing machine bobbin a hundred times-perhaps we cushioned the gap a bit. . .

Courtney and I crammed a year's talk into 3 days. we sat at the the neighborhood lake, counting 1-2-3-4 dark heads. . .and we talked about life in a broken world, about God's grace and goodness.
And Courtney said, "Darcie, it's not until I experience the opposite of God's character that I really appreciate God's character. . .when I experience loneliness, then I appreciate that God will never leave me. . .when I experience upheaval, then I appreciate that God never changes. . . "

We explored that worthy thought, fleshing out truth with real life.

And I was so glad to be in North Carolina with my friend.